Arizona’s illegal immigration law and the Illinois connection
Illinois has 59 State Senatorial Districts. Each Senate District then has two Districts for the House of Representatives. The 44th Senatorial District includes a portion of Tazewell County but not where I live in Tazewell County. My section is in the 53rd Senatorial District. The Republican candidate for Governor this year represents the 44th Senatorial District. The 44th District has the 87th and 88th House of Representative Districts.
All of the above is leading to a letter to the editor which was published in the Peoria Journal Star on May 21, 2010 and written by 87th District Representative Bill Mitchell. Approximately 1500 miles away from the Mexican/Arizona border (Tucson, where I lived for a number of years, is approximately 1500 miles from Morton, my home town, and approximately 60 miles from the border), the Arizona illegal immigration law is having an impact on Illinois. The letter as published is as follows:
“As one of 28 state representatives to vote against Rod Blagojevich’s (impeached and convicted ex-governor—my addition) All Kids (All Kids is an alleged program to provide healthcare cover for children who are not covered by other government programs—my addition) scam, I concur with the Journal Star’s May 16 Our View, “Effective, lasting fixes needed for mismanaged ‘All Kids’ program.”
In the wake of the critical state audit of the All Kids program (published as a news story in the Journal Star on May 12th—my addition), which indicated that 75 percent of enrollees were undocumented immigrants (illegal immigrants—my addition), I am moving to stop illegal immigrants from receiving health care benefits.
The All Kids program provides health care coverage for children, regardless of family income or immigration status. All Kids enrollees aren’t eligible for federal Medicaid funds, so the entire cost of providing health insurance to illegal immigrants is paid for by Illinois taxpayers.
Illinois is drowning in a sea of red ink. We have a $13 billion deficit and owe our schools, health care providers and social services $4.6 billion and counting. ($4.6 billion allocated by this year’s budget! Next year’s budget has not been finalized—my addition.) Why in the world are we spending $55 million per year on health insurance (in one program, the All Kids program—my addition) for illegal immigrants? With the General Assembly heading back to session next week, I intend to file a budget amendment to strip out the funding for illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance.
If the U.S. Congress wants to see the future, look to Illinois. (OUCH!!!—my addition) The passage of ObamaCare could add an extra billion dollars to Illinois’ Medicare costs, which already consume one-third of our general fund budget (which is a deficit budget—my addition). We cannot afford the health care system already in place. But much like our Democrat-controlled General Assembly, the Democrat-controlled Congress chose to ignore reality.
Illinois needs to fix our broken welfare system now. Failure to do so will only add to the mountain of debt that future generations are being buried under.
Bill Mitchell
State Representative
87th District”
Both the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs hold spring training in Arizona. The White Sox is one of three teams that train in Tucson. The Cubs and the rest of the Major League teams that train in Arizona do so in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The White Sox have a long term agreement with Tucson. The Cubs’ agreement is about to run out but a new agreement has been negotiated. I don’t know if it has been signed yet. The Cubs are the single largest draw in Arizona in spring training games. Which is not surprising, when I lived in Arizona, the single largest number of migrants into Arizona from other States was from California. The third largest was from Illinois. (I was one of those migrants at one time but I am not a Cub fan and have not seen them at a spring training game.)
Why all this “useless” information? After the Arizona illegal immigration law was passed, the call went out to cancel the All-Star game scheduled for the Phoenix area in 2011. At this point, Major League baseball has said it will not be cancelled. The White Sox manager also criticized the new law as published in the sports pages of the Peoria Journal Star. I don’t remember if he called for a boycott. According to the Saturday morning Peoria Journal Star, May 22, 2010, page D6; The White Sox team is 7 games below 500 and 7½ games out of first in its Division. One would think that the manager would have more important things on his mind than the illegal immigration law in Arizona.
Watching WGN news at 9 PM last week, opponents of the Arizona illegal immigration law were outside of the Cub stadium collecting signatures on a petition to call for the Cubs to move its spring training site from Arizona to Florida. At least one signature collector was incorrectly saying that the new law allowed the police to stop people on the street to ask for proof of citizenship. She was saying that a baseball player could be stopped outside of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ ballpark and asked for papers. Such a statement is both untrue according to the law and ridiculous on the face of it. And yet, Cub fans who said they had signed the petition where repeating the same nonsense.
As I said, a new contract for the Cubs has been negotiated but I don’t remember if it has been signed. I would think though that management is wise enough to know that if the Cubs moved to Florida they are probably not going to be the top draw as they are in Arizona. Both the Yankees and Boston train in Florida and, I would think, would probably outdraw the Cubs. Also, the St. Louis Cardinals train in Florida and also have a large Illinois following which might draw more people to Cub/Cardinal exhibition games but would also divide the Illinois crowd when both teams are playing other teams. Furthermore, according to Saturday’s paper, the Cubs are 5 games under 500 and 6 games out of first. Again, one would think that Cub fans would have more important things on their mind than the illegal immigration law in Arizona.
According to WGN news at 9 PM Friday night—May 21st, students from four Chicago High Schools walked out of their classes in protest against the Arizona illegal immigration law calling the new law racist. Do you think these students have actually read the Arizona law? Do you think that these students know what racism is? Hispanic which is used usually for people of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin (Yes, I looked it up to make sure.) isn’t even a race. In fact, a true Hispanic—one who originated in Spain—is normally Caucasian, i.e. white, in the colloquialism! Are these students, who all taxpayers are providing funds for their education, furthering their education by walking out of class to protest an Arizona law that the State of Illinois has no control over? Or was this just an excuse to get out of school?
Meanwhile, according to a short article in the Peoria Journal Star published on May 2, 2010, page B7, “Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is blasting a tough new Arizona immigration law.” Now let me see if I have this right, the Governor of Illinois whose State has a projected $13 billion deficit for the next fiscal year, has a State pension fund that is only funded at 54% or less, and is spending $55 million in healthcare costs for illegal immigrant children is now the authority on ARIZONA LAW and what ARIZONA SHOULD DO. I DON’T THINK SO!!!
Finally, two short letters to the editor published in the Peoria Journal Star. The first was May 10, 2010, page A4.
“It seems as if a great number of people are disturbed by the recent law passed by the sovereign state of Arizona regarding illegal immigrants. Please allow me to help.
From Funk and Wagnalls New Practical Standard Dictionary, Volume I: ‘Illegal-adj. Contrary to the law; not legal. See synonyms under criminal.’
‘Immigrant-noun. One who … immigrates; specifically, a foreigner who enters a country to settle there.’
I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.”
XXXXX XXXXXXX (I don’t give the name of ordinary citizens when I quote a letter to the editor—my addition)
The second was May 11, 2010, page A4.
“Regarding the recent immigration law, hey, all you Arizona experts: What is it about ‘illegal’ that you don’t understand?”
XXXXXXXX XXXXXX (I don’t give the name of ordinary citizens when I quote a letter to the editor—my addition)
Illinois has 59 State Senatorial Districts. Each Senate District then has two Districts for the House of Representatives. The 44th Senatorial District includes a portion of Tazewell County but not where I live in Tazewell County. My section is in the 53rd Senatorial District. The Republican candidate for Governor this year represents the 44th Senatorial District. The 44th District has the 87th and 88th House of Representative Districts.
All of the above is leading to a letter to the editor which was published in the Peoria Journal Star on May 21, 2010 and written by 87th District Representative Bill Mitchell. Approximately 1500 miles away from the Mexican/Arizona border (Tucson, where I lived for a number of years, is approximately 1500 miles from Morton, my home town, and approximately 60 miles from the border), the Arizona illegal immigration law is having an impact on Illinois. The letter as published is as follows:
“As one of 28 state representatives to vote against Rod Blagojevich’s (impeached and convicted ex-governor—my addition) All Kids (All Kids is an alleged program to provide healthcare cover for children who are not covered by other government programs—my addition) scam, I concur with the Journal Star’s May 16 Our View, “Effective, lasting fixes needed for mismanaged ‘All Kids’ program.”
In the wake of the critical state audit of the All Kids program (published as a news story in the Journal Star on May 12th—my addition), which indicated that 75 percent of enrollees were undocumented immigrants (illegal immigrants—my addition), I am moving to stop illegal immigrants from receiving health care benefits.
The All Kids program provides health care coverage for children, regardless of family income or immigration status. All Kids enrollees aren’t eligible for federal Medicaid funds, so the entire cost of providing health insurance to illegal immigrants is paid for by Illinois taxpayers.
Illinois is drowning in a sea of red ink. We have a $13 billion deficit and owe our schools, health care providers and social services $4.6 billion and counting. ($4.6 billion allocated by this year’s budget! Next year’s budget has not been finalized—my addition.) Why in the world are we spending $55 million per year on health insurance (in one program, the All Kids program—my addition) for illegal immigrants? With the General Assembly heading back to session next week, I intend to file a budget amendment to strip out the funding for illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-funded health insurance.
If the U.S. Congress wants to see the future, look to Illinois. (OUCH!!!—my addition) The passage of ObamaCare could add an extra billion dollars to Illinois’ Medicare costs, which already consume one-third of our general fund budget (which is a deficit budget—my addition). We cannot afford the health care system already in place. But much like our Democrat-controlled General Assembly, the Democrat-controlled Congress chose to ignore reality.
Illinois needs to fix our broken welfare system now. Failure to do so will only add to the mountain of debt that future generations are being buried under.
Bill Mitchell
State Representative
87th District”
Both the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs hold spring training in Arizona. The White Sox is one of three teams that train in Tucson. The Cubs and the rest of the Major League teams that train in Arizona do so in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The White Sox have a long term agreement with Tucson. The Cubs’ agreement is about to run out but a new agreement has been negotiated. I don’t know if it has been signed yet. The Cubs are the single largest draw in Arizona in spring training games. Which is not surprising, when I lived in Arizona, the single largest number of migrants into Arizona from other States was from California. The third largest was from Illinois. (I was one of those migrants at one time but I am not a Cub fan and have not seen them at a spring training game.)
Why all this “useless” information? After the Arizona illegal immigration law was passed, the call went out to cancel the All-Star game scheduled for the Phoenix area in 2011. At this point, Major League baseball has said it will not be cancelled. The White Sox manager also criticized the new law as published in the sports pages of the Peoria Journal Star. I don’t remember if he called for a boycott. According to the Saturday morning Peoria Journal Star, May 22, 2010, page D6; The White Sox team is 7 games below 500 and 7½ games out of first in its Division. One would think that the manager would have more important things on his mind than the illegal immigration law in Arizona.
Watching WGN news at 9 PM last week, opponents of the Arizona illegal immigration law were outside of the Cub stadium collecting signatures on a petition to call for the Cubs to move its spring training site from Arizona to Florida. At least one signature collector was incorrectly saying that the new law allowed the police to stop people on the street to ask for proof of citizenship. She was saying that a baseball player could be stopped outside of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ ballpark and asked for papers. Such a statement is both untrue according to the law and ridiculous on the face of it. And yet, Cub fans who said they had signed the petition where repeating the same nonsense.
As I said, a new contract for the Cubs has been negotiated but I don’t remember if it has been signed. I would think though that management is wise enough to know that if the Cubs moved to Florida they are probably not going to be the top draw as they are in Arizona. Both the Yankees and Boston train in Florida and, I would think, would probably outdraw the Cubs. Also, the St. Louis Cardinals train in Florida and also have a large Illinois following which might draw more people to Cub/Cardinal exhibition games but would also divide the Illinois crowd when both teams are playing other teams. Furthermore, according to Saturday’s paper, the Cubs are 5 games under 500 and 6 games out of first. Again, one would think that Cub fans would have more important things on their mind than the illegal immigration law in Arizona.
According to WGN news at 9 PM Friday night—May 21st, students from four Chicago High Schools walked out of their classes in protest against the Arizona illegal immigration law calling the new law racist. Do you think these students have actually read the Arizona law? Do you think that these students know what racism is? Hispanic which is used usually for people of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin (Yes, I looked it up to make sure.) isn’t even a race. In fact, a true Hispanic—one who originated in Spain—is normally Caucasian, i.e. white, in the colloquialism! Are these students, who all taxpayers are providing funds for their education, furthering their education by walking out of class to protest an Arizona law that the State of Illinois has no control over? Or was this just an excuse to get out of school?
Meanwhile, according to a short article in the Peoria Journal Star published on May 2, 2010, page B7, “Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is blasting a tough new Arizona immigration law.” Now let me see if I have this right, the Governor of Illinois whose State has a projected $13 billion deficit for the next fiscal year, has a State pension fund that is only funded at 54% or less, and is spending $55 million in healthcare costs for illegal immigrant children is now the authority on ARIZONA LAW and what ARIZONA SHOULD DO. I DON’T THINK SO!!!
Finally, two short letters to the editor published in the Peoria Journal Star. The first was May 10, 2010, page A4.
“It seems as if a great number of people are disturbed by the recent law passed by the sovereign state of Arizona regarding illegal immigrants. Please allow me to help.
From Funk and Wagnalls New Practical Standard Dictionary, Volume I: ‘Illegal-adj. Contrary to the law; not legal. See synonyms under criminal.’
‘Immigrant-noun. One who … immigrates; specifically, a foreigner who enters a country to settle there.’
I hope this clears up any misunderstanding.”
XXXXX XXXXXXX (I don’t give the name of ordinary citizens when I quote a letter to the editor—my addition)
The second was May 11, 2010, page A4.
“Regarding the recent immigration law, hey, all you Arizona experts: What is it about ‘illegal’ that you don’t understand?”
XXXXXXXX XXXXXX (I don’t give the name of ordinary citizens when I quote a letter to the editor—my addition)
posted by Christian Gunslinger at 10:03 PM
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